Pumps used to extract or express milk are well known. Breastmilk pumps are adapted to apply a vacuum to the breast in order to express it of its contents of milk, such as for storage in a container for later use by an infant.
Breastmilk pumps generally include a breastshield (also known as a hood) that typically includes a funnel-shaped surface sized and shaped to fit over the breast; a vacuum source connected to the breastshield for generating an intermittent reduced pressure, i.e., a vacuum, within the breastshield; and, a housed conduit structure for communicating milk from the breastshield to a container for the expressed milk, as well as for communicating pressure variations (such as the foregoing vacuum) to the breastshield. An example of this type of pump is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,899. Some breastpumps are designed to be operated with either one hand or two hands by using a lever. An example of this type of pump is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,110,140. As a result of the pressure changes produced and transferred therethrough and other reasons, the housing, conduit and breastshield portions of the breastpump tend to be made of a relatively rigid material.
When pumping a breast manually, it may take a considerable amount of time to empty. The rigid material of the pump may contribute to problems related to lack of grip and discomfort. In addition, the repetitiveness of the pumping motion can lead to user fatigue and discomfort. As a result, the user may use the breastpump for short periods only, may stop using the breastpump altogether or may turn to electric pumps instead of manual pumps.
Also, the operation of some types of breastpumps can cause various parts of the breastpump to come into sudden or abrupt contact with each other. This contact between parts may create undesired noise or vibrations to occur, which may disrupt the process of pumping and extracting breastmilk.
A demand therefore exists for an improved breastpump that reduces or eliminates the problems of discomfort, fatigue, frustration, and noise and is more desirable to the consumer.